Metro East Sun

U.S. Rep. Mike Bost (R-Dist. 12) expressed his disappointment at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's (NGA) recent decision to pass over St. Clair County in favor of North St. Louis for its new western headquarters. 

“NGA’s final decision is as disappointing as the methods they used to achieve it,” Bost said. “It appears that this result was baked in long ago, despite nearly every objective metric being in St. Clair County’s favor. I’m currently reviewing NGA’s record of decisions and the justifications they used for a process that has yielded more questions than answers from the very beginning.”

The North St. Louis location is near the existing headquarters at the old St. Louis Arsenal. The $1.6 billion, 800,000-square-foot headquarters will generate 1,500 temporary construction jobs as the new facility is built. The NGA stressed its connection and commitment to the St. Louis area in its decision.

Advocates for the St. Clair location said building the NGA headquarters beside Scott Air Force Base would provide a higher level of security for the facility. The St. Clair site provides convenient access to St. Louis by rail and road. In addition, the St. Clair site is open space, while the St. Louis site requires relocating current residents, demolition and environmental cleanup before construction can begin. 

The new headquarters is scheduled for completion in 2021.